Beads of Black and White
by Quincette
Summary: -Prologue- Of why the cat depends on a mere bracelet...


Disclaimer : Fruits Basket and all its characters belong to Takaya Natsuki and associated companies. No profit gained from this fic, mere personal satisfaction.

*****Prologue*****

It was started with a very classic line…

Once upon a time, in the land where the sun rises, was a family. Father, mother, children. Prosperous they were not, yet a firm roof was on top, smoke was whisking out of their kitchen's chimney and laughter was a common melody in their ambience.

But time changed; greed was no longer subliminal for some humans; and violence became its henchmen. A war was born; the rising sun that used to be hailed with grateful bows, was then cursed; for its presence meant another day of battle, where more blood would be spilled, more brothers would be dying and more mothers would be mourning…

Nonetheless the father, mother and children had grown into grandfather, grandmother, children, in-laws, grandchildren and cousins. The roof began to leak, smoke did not come as regular as it was supposed to, and dispute noises were heard more often than joyful chortles.

As wind of war drew nearer, were they being left alone by fortune to deal with stark fate. Empty stomachs, desperate minds, eyes wearied by blood, ears irritated by cries, bones worn out of worthless works; all led to a path which heading out of the light.

Of then, the creatures of the darkness were powerful beyond the mortals' imagination. Their power was a two-bladed sword, either could be a tool for a self-defense purpose, or a weapon to harm the others. Wiser elders glorified each of them a year of resemblance as atonement for their mercy in sparing human to live in peace. And they had warned their youth, for them were not the ones to be trusted, or to be asked for favors. But the family, blinded by lack of forbearance, did not bother to observe the vague line and threw their foolish selves into an uncanny contract written with their blood.

Those nocturnal beasts, twelve of them, were glad, of course, all that long they have been watching on humans with envy, and have been searching a way to seize the sunlight out of their sight, literally or not. And so they granted the family's wish of wealth, at a price.

A price that the family did not acquaint until the born of their next twelve children. Horrid screams coming from the midwives, for the twelve turned into resemblance of those beast in the loving touch a father would give to his daughter, or in a touch of affection a mother would give to her son and at a touch from their lovers.

So the twelve, victims of their elders' recklessness, could not feel the joy of their opposites' caresses, living their lives isolated like swelling shames. Had the fate been crueler, each of them carried a physical impairment, which was a mark from the twelve animals. 

Saber fangs from the dog, dangling ears from the hare, harmful claws from the tiger, hideous nose from the boar, disgusting tail from the rat, jutting talons from the roaster, curving horns from the goat, arms with feet's length from the monkey, scaled skin from the dragon, forked tongue from the snake, screeching voice from the horse, and mammal's jaw  from the buffalo.  

The family, prosperous then, developed into a clan. A clan in which the secret of the twelve was kept, the twelve which were regretted, feared and undesired. 

Until the head of the clan could no longer bear the guilt that burdened his soul. He sold his own age back to the power holders in exchange for the twelve children's appearances to come wholesome human.

They granted the wish, and so the head of the clan in their every generation was born with poor health and was not expected to have a long life.

The curse, nonetheless, was over generations. The twelve, later known as jyuunishi, would remain twelve, for everytime one of them died, the next newborn in the family would be the heir of the curse. They still be feared and were living inside the family's inner circle, sharing their emotions and pains only to their fellow jyuunishi.

And war, was far from over. And wealth, was likely a provoking target for the both warlords and bandits. Called by desperation and fear of assaults, the foolish ones of the clan turned their foolish selves back into another contract. A contract with the thirteenth animal, the fiercest of all, the one that did not obey to come even when the Gods called for it. The one that did not have a year of resemblance, that couldn't be controlled by the elders. 

The animal, small and harmless at sight, but dangerous and harmful in its true form, was then the clan's guardian, was kept inside the child with hair in color of the setting sun, sealed by an enchanted bracelet of black and white beads. 

Remove the seal and the raging beast shall come out.

And they removed it everytime threat was at their gate.

And they waited, cowardly, inside their solid shelter beneath the ground. They waited, for death screams from their enemy, for the sounds of roaring beast and bloody battle to be over. And then they came out to seize the weary beast and seal it back into the said child's form. 

And so they had managed to keep themselves from their enemy, by the thirteenth animal's service. 

The child in which the beast was kept however, was despised by the clan, for they feared him to be the next double-bladed sword. No slightest gratitude shown after numerous slaying and bloodshed the said child has done for them.

Over and over generations…

The age of war was over, but the crestfallen destiny of the twelve, the head of the clan, and the thirteenth animal was never changed. Each of the fourteen still fumbled on their own agony.

The little merry family had turned into a large powerful clan with many secrets, many burdens, many injustices, many intrigues, and very much suffering; all was kept from the surface, concealed with wealth. 

So much wealth. So much worth, so much cost.

Too much cost…

The clan named Sohma.

And this is the story of the thirteenth animal


End file.
